29 Peter‘s Trick
1473 Words
Peter never felt a lot like the pressure he was currently in.
He had to think of a way to wisely use his chance to make sure they’d win. Or else, he would be the last liable person for his and his friends’ lives. Because if he lost, no other chance to be given.
And just like how they sealed the deal with Barros, forty years of their lives will be deducted.
This was funny to him because if he had less than that, he still had a debt to Barros. The worst-case scenario was, Barros would know how many years he only had in this world and he’d just ask Peter to be a slave.
Which, he won’t let.
He had nothing to back him up. Not even a thing that could help him.
The Book of Dimensions grazed his mind. What if he was to summon another creature? Something that could help him. Would it be a great idea to summon two different creatures at the same time?
“Are you ready?” Barros stood.
Peter thought for a moment. He couldn’t gamble forty years of their lives to uncertainty.
“Give us a moment,” Peter said.
“What? What is it?” Ray asked, following him to where the weapons and other things.
He looked at Barros who was busy forming things with his blue flame. “I’m planning to summon another creature. But I’m not sure if I can do that. And I’m a little afraid he’ll figure I will cheat.”
Zack hummed. “Check the Book Of Dimensions,” he suggested. “Edgar must’ve left other notes.
Peter sighed and took the book. He flipped through the pages and when he was half of it, he noticed a note from Edgar that answered his question.
Summoning multiple creatures is possible. Even if the individual circle overlap. creatures wouldn’t be able to sense another creature on another circle. However, summoners could see other creatures at the same time.
Zack and Ray read it in their minds.
Peter nodded. “Then what should I summon?”
“What do you think you’ll challenge him for?” Ray asked.
“Uh, something with the mind. I’m bad at physical things,” he said and pondered. “Quiz?”
The two nodded.
“Don’t look for something else, go for the sphinx,” Ray suggested.
Peter looked at Barros who was still busy on his own and looked around. “But we have no more encyclopedia,” Peter said.
“Oh, yeah, you’re right,” Ray said.
They turned silent as they individually thought of something. Peter watched Barros carefully, making sure he had no idea what they were planning.
“Why don’t I try my phone? It has an encyclopedia, too,” Peter said.
“What if you summoned another sphinx and not the one we summoned?” Zack asked. “And what if it’s another creature?”
“We’ll figure that out later,” Peter said and stuffed his phone in his pocket.
He stood up and prepared himself, keeping the memory of the mantra for summoning sphinx intact.
“So, your entire plan is?” Ray whispered.
Peter turned to them. “Before the quiz start, I will summon the sphinx,” he said. “If we successfully won against Barros, he’ll restore Josh’s invisible head and arm. I’m sure I have to deal with the sphinx later, so when Josh is normal, rescue me. I don’t know what will happen to me with the sphinx, so after Josh is normal, you guys leave the pavilion and bring the car here, so we could just escape.”
“What if we’re not able to bring back Josh?” Zack asked.
“If we can’t,” Peter paused to think. “We have no time and we don’t have no choice but to leave Josh.”
He didn’t want to, but they only have until sunrise to save Josh, which was in no more than one hour. It would be hard to accept, but they would be left with no choice.
So he dedicated the rest of his spiritual power and energy in trying to save Josh. He had to do everything he could.
Barros looked at them. “Are you guys ready? Especially you, Mr. Peter?” he asked.
Peter gulped. He wasn’t even sure if he could execute it well. He wasn’t even sure if he could create another circle. Because he still had to share his spiritual power to Barros’s circle.
As he stood across Barros about few meters apart, he closed his eyes and focused on creating another circle.
About a second or two, another circle was there, but Barros seemed to not notice it.
“Are you praying?” Barros asked, chuckling lightly.
Peter ignored him and dropped his phone behind him, which Barros didn’t notice as well. So far, the plan was working.
He didn’t waste time and whispered the mantra to summon the sphinx.
The fortune-telling creature from the Nylathurow world;
Intelligent human head with a lion’s sturdy body, you soar high with your knowledge;
I offer you a source of knowledge, so you must answer my wonders.
In my name, Peter Cohen, I command you to appear in this world!
There was no whirlwind, but there was a portal. He looked at Barros who was just looking at him.
Barros just nodded. “Okay, silent treatment. So, what’s your challenge for me?” he asked.
The sphinx they called earlier was there, looking down at Peter. “What do you need this time?” the same familiar sphinx asked right when he appeared from the portal. Ray and Zack refrained from looking at the sphinx, or else Barros might get the idea that Peter was cheating.
“I have no time. I’ll answer all questions you want to ask later. But for now, help me win this quiz game with the demigod,” Peter whispered without tearing his eyes off Barros.
The sphinx smiled in interest. He had never seen such an intelligent summoner. He couldn’t foretell his future anymore, but he could tell that Peter was telling the truth. “I’ll gladly do so,” the sphinx said, as he was pleased to be part of this great history. At least a great history for him.
Barros turned serious when Peter wasn’t answering. He raised an eyebrow.
“I’d like to ask you for a riddle quiz,” Peter said.
Barros chuckled.
The sphinx smiled. Since he was a powerful creature, he could at least hear Barros.
“A riddle quiz? I’ve never been asked for that challenge,” Barros said and nodded. “But sure, quiz it is,” he smiled at Peter. “You as first,”
“What do I ask him first?“ Peter whispered.
The sphinx hummed as he was looking at Peter. “I’m good with riddles.”
“Just tell me something,” Peter whispered at Sphinx.
“What?” Barros asked.
Peter was surprised. He smiled and shook his head. “Nothing. How about we give five riddles each?”
Barros nodded. “Sure.”
“What is there in the sky that could reach and touch the land?” The sphinx said.
Peter cleared his throat and repeated what the sphinx said. “What is there in the sky that could reach and touch the land?”
Barros hummed and touched his chin. He grinned. “Easy. Clouds.”
“He’s right,” the sphinx said. Peter only nodded at Barros.
“My turn,” Barros started and grinned. “The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?”
Peter smiled and didn’t need help from sphinx. He had heard of that classic riddle before. “Footsteps,” he answered.
Barros’s smile was gone. “Okay, next.”
“What are three consecutive days without saying any of the seven days?” the sphinx asked.
Peter repeated what the sphinx said. “What are three consecutive days without saying any of the seven days?”
Barros sighed. “We’re doing earthly riddles now,” he said and nodded. “Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, is it?”
“He is correct,” the sphinx approved.
Peter nodded and waited for Barros to ask him.
“What is it that makes things darer when touched?” Barros asked.
Peter paused and waited for the sphinx to say something. “What is it?” he whispered.
The sphinx hummed. “Water. Tell him it’s water.”
“Water,” Peter finally answered.
They were tied and equally matched in the game. With sphinx by Peter’s side, it wouldn’t be hard for him to win.
“I am four letters long, I can be seen in the sky, I am the ocean, and I am the sea. What am I?” the sphinx said.
Peter repeated the riddle. “I am four letters long, I can be seen in the sky, I am the ocean, and I am the sea. What am I?”
Barros grinned. “Easy. It’s blue,” he answered.
“That’s so easy,” he whisper-yelled at the sphinx while still looking at Barros.
Barros gave him an interesting grin as he nodded, watching Peter. He had been noticing Peter’s delay in answering and asking, so he was thinking of something. He had a feeling Peter was putting a trick.
He looked at Zack and Ray and caught them glancing somewhere in the air.
He quickly turned at Peter and started to laugh. He already knew who he had been battling with, all along.
“This is interesting,” Barros said. “So, my next question is, what’s in the great pyramid and sphinx?” he asked sarcastically.
His question wasn’t that much of a big deal, but the way it sounded like Barros was trying to mock his existence never sounded good to the sphinx.
The sphinx glared at Peter, and Barros was giving him his mocking grin.
Peter gulped. He knew he was in trouble.
- Writer
